Bald Cypress care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) wants full sun and a drink about every 5 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 10. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Taxodium distichum |
|---|---|
| family | Cupressaceae |
| category | tree |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 5 |
| mature height cm | 2500 |
| min zone | 4 |
| max zone | 10 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | false |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Bald Cypress?
A conifer that drops its needles; takes flooding and drought.
Who eats it
Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is medium. Its moisture use is high. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 40 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 65 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 4.5. It tolerates soil up to pH 6.0. Its fertility requirement is medium. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. Its tolerance of waterlogging is high. It needs at least 160 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is high. Its fire tolerance is low. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -18°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is rapid. Its lifespan is long. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: yes. At maturity it reaches about 130.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 45 feet. Its roots go down at least 40 inches. Its shape is conical. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in mid spring. The flowers are purple. Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is fine. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is moderate in porosity. Fall colour: yes. The fruit or seed is brown. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits low. The fruit persists on the plant: yes. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: yes. Seedling vigour is low. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02